Micah Roberts Top 10 Driver Ratings
Budweiser Shootout
Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, February 18, 2012 - 5:10 pm (PDT)
Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Practice 2 Start Pos. 2011 Shootout*
1. Kevin Harvick 8/1 12th DNP 22nd 7th
Two-time Shootout winner (2009, 2010), using winning car from 2010 Daytona Firecracker.
2. Tony Stewart 12/1 9th DNP 15th 11th
Three-time Shootout winner, the last coming 2007, and 16 wins overall at Daytona.
3. Jamie McMurray 15/1 4th 1st 4th 2nd
Shootout Runner-up in 2009 and 2011, third in 2010; using same chassis from 2011 and 2010.
4. Jeff Gordon 10/1 21st DNP 14th 6th
Two-time Shootout winner (1994, 1997); finished sixth or better in last four starts.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1 24th 12th 8th 19th
Two-time Shootout winner (2003, 2008); hasn’t finished better than 11th in last three starts.
6. Clint Bowyer 25/1 10th DNP 17th 9th
Best finish of ninth last year; had fastest time in one of the Daytona pre-season test sessions.
7. Jeff Burton 20/1 2nd DNP 12th 8th
Best finish was fifth in 2001; using chassis from Harvick that ran in three 2011 plates races.
8. Kurt Busch 20/1 15th DNP 6th 1st
Won Shootout last season (new team this year); fastest overall in Daytona pre-season testing.
9. Juan Montoya 30/1 23rd 2nd 25th 20th
Best finish of 10th in 2010; tandem racing with McMurray. Using 2011 sixth-place Daytona 500 car.
10. Kasey Kahne 12/1 17th 4th 19th 24th
Runner-up in 2010; teamed with Gordon in Daytona pre-season testing and worked very well.
Note: The Budweiser Shootout is a 75-lap non-points race consisting of drivers that finished in the top-25 final standings last season, won a past Budweiser shootout or a past points paying Daytona race.
* Results from last season’s Budweiser Shootout.
Odds courtesy of the LVH Super Book.
Bud Shootout Plays
Even though Kurt Busch was involved in an accident during Friday’s practice, I still think he’s got a great shot of winning this race. He took the least punishment of the five cars involved and won’t have to go to a back-up like the others have to. I also like Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Burton to have a great showing in this race and they all have excellent odds.
The match-up I would go after is Jeff Burton at pick ’em against Brad Keselowski, and not just because Keselowski is using a back-up car -- likely the Daytona 500 back-up car, but more so because I think Burton has a great shot at winning and running up front for most of the race. Of all the match-ups on the board, this one stands out the most.
As with any plate race, the best advice is to look at playing almost all of the match-ups that are showing plus-money. These type of races -- especially a non-points plate race -- are too much of a crap shoot to have anyone favored too much.
Match-up of the week:
JEFF BURTON -110 vs. Brad Keselowski
Odds to win Selections:
Kurt Busch 20/1, Clint Bowyer 25/1, Jeff Burton 20/1 and Jamie McMurray 18/1
Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com, TheLinemakers.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.
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